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slightly brittle pgs
1st app. Dr. Death; 2nd Batman cover


Detective Comics #29 is one of the most difficult issues to obtain in the beloved pre-Robin Detective run of Batman's most moody and compelling stories. That's reflected in Detective #29's classic (and extremely rare) cover, showing the influence of pre-code horror cinema on Bob Kane's nocturnal creation. Detective #29 remains one of the most difficult early Batman issues to obtain, as both Batman's second cover appearance and third appearance in the comics.

Kane's cover also portrays the Caped Crusader's first brawl with a proper supervillain. Dr. Karl Hellfern, aka Doctor Death, creates a powerful poison that he'll release upon Gotham City if the wealthiest citizens don't meet his demands. It's well documented that Batman stories took on a lighter tone as Robin came along and the hero moved into his own book. This issue, however, has Batman taking a bullet to the shoulder and other great pulp elements. The scarcity of these ground-zero Dark Knight Detective issues has collectors taking notice whenever these classics come up for auction.
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